The Boeing 727 is an iconic aircraft that will go down in history as one of the workhorses of the early days of jet-powered commercial aviation. It is the only trijet aircraft ever to have been produced by Boeing, and was powered by three Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engines.

The 727 entered commercial service in February 1964 with Eastern Air Lines, and it was not until almost 40 years later, in April 2003, that Delta Air Lines became the last US airline to operate scheduled passenger flights with the aircraft. In this article, we will take a closer look at Delta Air Lines’ operating history with the Boeing 727, and examine the aircraft’s life and legacy across the wider aviation industry.

All About The Boeing 727

Credit: Eastern Air Lines

The Boeing 707 entered commercial service in 1958, and the long-range aircraft was an overwhelming commercial success for the US manufacturer. Several years later, Boeing identified a gap in the market for a short-haul narrowbody jet capable of operating at smaller airports. This is where the 727 came in, entering commercial service in February 1964 with Eastern Air Lines. According to a report by Intergalactic, the 727 had a list price of around $4.25 million when it was first built in the mid-1960s.

Over the coming decades, the Boeing 727 proved to be immensely popular with airlines around the world, but particularly with those in the US, with the aircraft providing the perfect solution for short flights throughout the country. United Airlines went on to become the largest operator of the 727, operating a total of 230 of the aircraft, made up of 126 727-100s and 104 727-200s. One of the advantages of a trijet aircraft is that its wings can be positioned further towards the rear of the fuselage, which moves the center of gravity rearward.

The aircraft was also more fuel efficient than Boeing’s other jet aircraft at the time, the 707, which had four engines. It 727 was also able to operate at high-altitude airports (sometimes referred to as ‘hot and high’ airports), which made it a popular choice for airlines operating in mountainous regions throughout South America, such as Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB). The Boeing 727-200 was the most popular variant, and the aircraft’s specifications, according to the Delta Flight Museum, are outlined in the table above.

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The Boeing 727’s Last Commercial Flight In The US

Credit: Flickr

The Boeing 727’s last commercial flight to be flown by a US carrier was operated by Delta Air Lines. The SkyTeam carrier operated the 727 from Greensboro Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on April 6, 2003.

After the aircraft’s retirement, Delta Air Lines’ President and Chief Operating Officer at the time, Frederick W. Reid, celebrated the Boeing 727 and the impact that the aircraft had on the carrier. He said that:

“The Boeing 727 served as an elegant and durable workhorse of Delta’s fleet for more than 30 years. It was a vital part of our company’s growth.”

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Delta Air Lines Operated A Total Of 191 Boeing 727s

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Delta Air Lines took delivery of its first Boeing 727 in 1972, and over the next 31 years, the SkyTeam carrier went on to operate a total of 191 of the aircraft. This total was made up of eight 727-100s and 183 727-200s. The carrier took delivery of both the 500th and 1,000th 727 built by Boeing, with the aircraft proving popular with both airline employees and passengers. In 1981, Delta Air Lines’ Vice President of Engineering, Julian May, said:

“The 727 has a place in the Delta fleet for many years. It is popular with our passengers, and its modern, low-noise and fuel-efficient engines help us keep ticket prices down while being a good neighbor at the airports we serve.”

In the end, the Boeing 727 became expensive to operate. The aircraft’s three engines put it way behind its more modern, twin-engined counterparts when it came to fuel efficiency, which was only exacerbated by the fuel crises of the 1970s and 1990s. It was also a requirement to carry an engineer on each flight, adding further to the operating costs and eventually pushing airlines across the US and beyond to begin retiring their fleets. Delta Air Lines saw both the Boeing 737-800 and 757-200 as ideal replacements for the aircraft.

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Other Major Operators Of The Boeing 727

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

As previously mentioned, United Airlines was the largest operator of the Boeing 727, with several other North American airlines also ranking highly. When it came to carriers from other parts of the world, major operators included All Nippon Airways, Iberia, Air France, Tunisair, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Ansett Australia, and avianca. The type’s major commercial operators of the passenger aircraft are outlined in the table below.

United Airlines operated both the Boeing 727-100 and 727-200, with the latter being a key part of the Star Alliance carrier’s fleet until 2001. The smaller 727-100 flew for the airline until 1993, but suffered three high-profile crashes before then. Flight 389, flight 227, and flight 266 collectively resulted in 111 fatalities and damaged the aircraft’s reputation in its early years.

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The Last Ever Passenger Boeing 727 Flight

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Iran Aseman Airlines operated the Boeing 727’s last ever commercial flight on January 13, 2019. The aircraft flew from Zahedan Airport (ZAH) to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) before being retired.

The carrier operated a total of four 727s between 1998 and 2019. Today, Iran Aseman Airlines operates a fleet of 16 commercial aircraft, made up of the planes detailed in the table above, per ch-aviation.

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Examining The Boeing 727’s Legacy

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Although the Boeing 727 will forever be remembered as an iconic aircraft and somewhat of a workhorse in the early days of commercial aviation, the aircraft did not boast the best safety record. After entering commercial service in 1964, the 727 was involved in a total of 353 incidents, including 120 hull losses, which led to more than 4,000 fatalities. Four high-profile crashes occurred in the aircraft’s first few years of operations, causing significant damage to its reputation among airlines and passengers alike.

United Airlines flight 389 was the first crash involving a Boeing 727, and occurred on August 16, 1965, when the aircraft was flying from New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The aircraft crashed into Lake Michigan while on approach to Chicago, killing all 30 passengers and crew members on board. 10 years later, Eastern Air Lines flight 66, on June 24, 1975, Eastern Air Lines flight 66 from New Orleans to New York crashed while on approach, killing 113 of the 124 occupants.

On March 31, 1986, Mexicana de Aviación flight 940 was operating a flight from Mexico City (MEX) to Los Angeles (LAX) with stopovers in Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Mazatlán (MZT) when it crashed into the Sierra Madre mountain range shortly after take-off from Mexico City International Airport. The crash killed all 167 passengers and crew members onboard, making it the deadliest incident involving the Boeing 727.

Boeing ended production of the 727 in 1984, by which time, a total of 1,832 had been built and delivered to airlines across the world. Despite its early operational problems, the aircraft will go down in history as one that changed the face of the commercial aviation industry at a time when jet-powered air travel was beginning to boom across the US and beyond.